Enemy Within part one
by dart53
Summary: The team learns the group may be threatened by more than just the Germans.
1. Chapter 1

The usual disclaimer applies. I derive no monetary gain from the story you are about to read. No infringement to the owners of Garrison's Gorillas is intended...if they are reading this... please release the original show on some decent DVD's!!!

And my thanks to my beta readers Chris and Beth for offering to go over this for me when my eyes gave out! dale

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Enemy Within

part one

The three cons had been scrambling all afternoon to cover for their missing member. Every time the Warden asked for Casino they'd managed to distract him or accomplish the job he'd set for the safecracker so that he wouldn't find out he was gone. The effort was beginning to wear on them, having to do it was causing tempers to flare, and this wasn't the first time it had happened. Now they were snapping at each other, but as soon as the wayward Casino returned he was in for it.

"Well, all I gotta say is that bird a his better have some friends next time we get t'go to town." Goniff grouched from the corner of the sofa where he was sprawled.

"I take it Casino hasn't come back from town yet?"

None of them had seen him leaning in the door way and all three men jumped, turning to stare as Garrison walked into the room.

Actor studied the Warden for a moment. He was trying for a firm, command look, but he was carrying himself in far too relaxed a manner and there was a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth "You knew!"

Garrison leaned a hip against the sofa, his arms folded across his chest. "Of course I did. He asked me and I let him go."

"You mean all that muckin' about today was for nothin'?!" Goniff asked in openmouthed disbelief.

Chief's eyes narrowed and there was more than a hint of irritation in his voice. "If you knew he wadn't here, how come you kept askin' for him?"

"To see what you guys would do." Garrison laughed. "It was good practice."

"What!?"

The Warden shrugged "You've got to cover for each other all the time over on the continent… I was just keeping you on your toes."

Actor took the pipe from his mouth and let is arm drop onto the table in front of him staring at their commander. "Very amusing."

"Yes. It was." Garrison returned their stares, holding them until he started to see smiles break down the irritation. "Alright, tell him I need to see him as soon as he gets back."

"That's not all I'm gonna tell him." Chief promised quietly from his corner near the window.

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"Congratulation, Casino. It's all been approved." Garrison immediately questioned his timing and deployment as the safecracker caught him up in an exuberant, bone crushing bear hug.

"That's great! I can't believe it! We got the OK?… It's no joke? We can do it?"

The Warden managed to step away and put the desk between them before he answered. "You did. It's not. And, you can. In that order." Dropping into the chair he avoided another rib bruising hug but didn't escape the back slapping pounding that threatened to jar his eyes from their sockets. "You just need the documents to come through. That may take a few more weeks."

"I can't believe it! I can't wait to ask her…"

Garrison frowned and shot a look at the man standing over him. "Wait a minute!" Raising his hand to ward off another blow he stared up in disbelief. "You mean you haven't even asked her yet?!"

"Well, I,,, ah, I didn't want to get her hopes up." Casino dropped his head and shoved his fists deep into his pockets. "You know,,, in case I couldn't get the OK and… and I…"

He continued to look at the man in amazement and asked quietly, "Casino, I'm no expert, but don't you think you ought to go ask her?"

"Well, yeah, I guess…but… What? You mean now!?" It was Casino's turn to stare in disbelief. "You mean I can go now?"

Garrison raised an amused eyebrow and nodded. "I think you'd better."

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It had taken another two hours to go out and talk to her, tell her what he'd wanted to tell her for weeks now. When he walked back into the Warden's office her answer was plainly written on his face. Garrison was glad for him. Something good ought to come out of this mess the world found itself in. When Casino made his request it had been easy to come up with an answer.

"So it would be OK?" Casino was sitting on the edge of the desk, arms crossed over his chest staring down at the Lieutenant.

"I can't see how it could do any harm. Sounds like a nice break. Sure, you can do it." Garrison answered him with a chuckle. "Besides I'd kind of like to meet her myself."

"Are you gonna tell 'em, or should I?"

"Oh, you!" The Lieutenant laughed outright, and waved him out of the room. "By all means."

A smile crept over the safecracker's face as he stood and started for the door. He'd been waiting for this for weeks. As he mounted the stairs to the quarters he shared with the other three he started planning just what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it. He didn't think he'd have any trouble getting the guys involved, but wanted to put it to them in just the right manner. Casino stopped when he reached the door, cocked his head and looked up for a moment before giving a quick nod and then laid his hand on the door and pushed it open.

"Did you finally decide to come back!?" Goniff snapped from the table.

"We been coverin' for you all day, man." Chief accused, then asked in disgust. "Where in the hell you been?"

"Casino, the Warden wanted to see you as soon as you returned." Actor's voice was carefully neutral, but the look on his face as he glared at him over the top of his book was anything but.

"Yeah, he spotted me in the hallway when I came in, I already talked to him." He stretched out on his back on his cot, his hands clasped behind his head and started to whistle.

Goniff narrowed his eyes at the safecracker and shot a look at the other two before moving over to sit on the edge of his cot, next to Casino's. "You been down in town seein' that girl again, ain't ya?"

"What's it to you?" Their volatile safecracker bristled.

Goniff shrugged, and did his best to look harmless, "Well it don't seem exactly fair for us to be covering for you all the time and not get any of the,,, uh,,, the benefits. Now does it?"

Casino frowned, considering the fairness of the statement for a few moments before answering. "Nope, I guess it doesn't."

Encouraged, Goniff grinned and slid forward, a little closer to the other man, and continued. "I don't s'pose you remembered to find out if she's got some friends for your mates, then?"

Swinging his hands forward and rolling up to sit facing the cockney thief Casino frowned at him, "I dunno. I never asked her." Then he ran a hand through his hair. "Jeeze! I'm sorry! I guess I got all caught up in… well… in what I was doin' and forgot all about…" He stood up and started to pace the room. "That's just not how you'r 'spose to take care a your pals." And turning to face them he continued. "I don't know what I was thinkin'." Watching Goniff grin around at the other two men he smiled at him. "Lemme make it up to you. I'll go down and get the Warden to let us outta this place for a few hours on Saturday…. Yeah! We can all go down into town and have some fun." He moved quickly to the door and stepped through pulling it closed behind him, calling over his shoulder as he went. "You guys stay there, I'll be right back."

Casino went half way down the stairs and stopped, leaning against the wall he checked his watch and waited.

Several minutes later Goniff declared in a hoarse whisper, "Here he comes!" as he scampered away from the door and back to the table in the center of the room. When the door opened he looked up hopefully. "Any luck?" He didn't know what kind of magic Casino had been using on the Warden, but it had been working for weeks. He kept his fingers crossed and prayed it wouldn't fail him now.

"Nah! He says we can't go down there, might be a job on…" He watched the disappointment settle over the room and was especially amused to see even Actor's face fall a bit, before he continued. "…but he says they can come out here!"

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"I don't believe Casino talked the Warden into lettin' him bring a bunch a dames out here." Chief said quietly. He was sitting on the sofa in the library decked out in his favorite red turtleneck and a sport coat.

"Have a little faith, mate. Casino can charm the birds if he wants to bad enough."

"The Warden ain't no bird."

"Not those kind! The ones with feathers… 'Sides the Warden knows how hard we been workin'. He knows a little, uh,,, recreational activity'll be good for us."

They'd worked all morning setting up tables and chairs on the terrace and on the lawn, some under the trees, some over by the fountain. They nearly cleaned the mess out of the darned things. Casino worked on the cook to supply sandwiches and drinks. 'Course it was only tea and lemon aide. The Warden had been very firm on not having real drinks, but if they were under threat of a mission that made some sense. They'd even managed to get an order out to the pastry shop in town and had an assortment of cakes on the way. All the work was done now, all they had to do was wait. Casino said he'd sent a driver down to pick them up. Everything was fine,,, until the Warden walked in on them.

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"What's up?" Chief stood, alerted by the look on the Warden's face.

Garrison laid a hand on the safecracker's shoulder as he walked by him on the way to the desk. "Sorry Casino."

"Lemme guess. We got a mission." Army timing was lousy, Casino knew that, but this took the cake.

"Yeah." He paused, amending his answer. "Well, Actor and I have one."

Chief frowned at him, he didn't like the smell a this. "What d'you mean?"

There was a smug look on Actor's face, and just the hint of a superior tone to his voice. "Obviously it is something quite delicate and your services are not required."

"Actually it's something quite simple," Garrison smiled at the slight drop in Actor's shoulders. "And we're giving them a break." Then he turned back to the others. "It's just a quick in and out to check on an operative we haven't heard from for a while."

Goniff dropped the letter opener he'd been toying with. "Hey! The biggest reason for that's bein' dead, isn't it?"

"Or being too closely observed by the Gestapo." The con man was no longer pleased at being singled out for this little job.

Ordinarily Casino would be enjoying the prick Actor had just received to his inflated ego but this could get a little too dangerous for jokin' around. "Or decidin' to go work for the other side."

"None of that sounds 'simple'." Chief observed in a monotone.

The Lieutenant shrugged his shoulders and agreed, "Could be any of those things, but we won't know until we get over there."

"How come just the two a you?"

"Because all we're going to do is ask questions and take a look around. Since you guys can't ask any questions…" The Warden let the implication lay there. He'd tried to get the three of them to learn the language, and while they had all improved at understanding German, French and even Italian, none of them would claim to really speak anything other than English, and the Sergeant Major kept telling them they didn't even speak that.

"But what if you guys get into trouble?" Seemed like there was always trouble when they split the group up. And even though he should be happy as hell to be staying out of it, Casino found himself getting mad at being left behind.

Chief was taking a page from the safecracker's book and doing a bit of pacing. "Who's gonna be there to pull you out?"

"I don't like it." The little cat burglar shook his head.

"How come they aren't usin' somebody who's already over there?"

This was turning out to be harder than he'd expected. He'd expected they'd be thrilled to be staying behind. Garrison shook his head, he still had a lot to learn about these guys. "Because they're afraid the guy's laying low because he's being observed."

"Great! So if you go lookin' for the guy they'll make you too?" Chief stopped in his tracks and just stared at the Warden.

"Maybe, but we're supposed to be smart enough to spot them before they spot us."

"But that means you blokes could be walkin' right into a trap!"

Garrison finally surrendered. "Look, I don't really like this any more than you do, but they've ordered it out this way. We're stuck with it."

Actor had let the conversation go on around him but now he looked up with a slight smile, "You've already gone over Reynolds' head?"

"Reynolds isn't here, remember?" They hadn't seen anything of the Colonel for the last few missions. "This one's being run by a guy named Wilhoitz, and he doesn't allow that kind of thing."

"And he's the one that thought this beaut up?" Casino's judgment on the mission could be heard clearly in his tone of voice.

"He's the guy." Garrison hadn't liked the man, some sort of intelligence analyst fresh in from the States. Colonel Wilhoitz had made his dislike and distrust of the Lieutenant's particular little group of operatives quite clear, and told him he'd be going over all the reports on the results the group had achieved, balancing them against all the complaints they had against them to determine the 'over all effectiveness and profitability' of the team. The jerk had probably never dealt with anything other than paperwork and numbers, the Warden thought, and wouldn't know an 'effective' group if it collectively bit him in the ass.

"When do we have to leave?" The con man heaved a resigned sigh and headed for the door.

Garrison followed him across the room as he answered. "They're sending us in by sub tonight. We've got forty-eight hours to get our information and then they pick us up again."

"What if we don't find him?" Actor turned in the doorway and waited for the answer.

"Then he's a write off." The tone of his voice told them all what Garrison thought of that, and the man that had issued the order.

"Say, Warden… Since we aren't goin', it'd be a shame to disappoint the.."

"Forget it Goniff." Garrison called back over his shoulder as he headed down the hall towards the stairs. "You know the rules. The place is on lock down 'til we get back. I've already canceled the car and sent your apologies."

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"Jeeze! I hate this." The safecracker had been restlessly pacing the house and grounds all day now. He'd never had an abundance of patience and waiting around like this had used up just about all he had.

"Take it easy Casino, they'll be back here tonight."

"Maybe!"

Goniff sat at the table absently chewing on the last of the pastries that had been meant for the aborted party. They were a little stale now after two days. "D'you think they'll send us over there if somethin' happens to 'em?"

"Are you kidding?!" Casino planted his fists on his hips and turned on the little cockney "They're ready to write the other guy off. What makes you think they won't do the same thing to Actor and the Warden ?"

"Aw, Reynolds wouldn't do that!" Goniff looked to the other two for reassurance, "Would he?"

"Reynolds ain't runnin' this thing, remember?" Chief didn't like the sound of this new guy, he hadn't liked Reynolds either, especially right after they'd met him, but he'd been out with them and had come back from that little outing with a grudging respect for the group and the man who led them. At least he wasn't always trying to have them busted up and shipped home now. From the sound of the Warden's voice when he talked about this Wilhoitz guy it seemed like they had to start from scratch with him. They were gonna need to watch themselves for a while.

"What time is it?" Casino had started to pace again

Chief continued to stare out the window as he answered. "S'not time yet. You better find a way to calm down."

"You calm down, Indian!"

"Guys, guys!" Goniff moved quickly to stand between the two hot headed members of the team. "Come on! Fightin' each other'll take you'r minds of it, sure, but the Warden'll be that mad at ya when he gets back…"

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Goniff was exhausted. He'd been playing referee and peace keeper for over three hours now. The more worried Casino got the more short tempered and sharp tongued he got. Even though they knew that it didn't make it any easier for Chiefy to put up with. He was worried too. They all were. If the pick up was delayed for any reason and they had to wait another day, the second story man was pretty sure there'd be blood spilled, and the way his nerves were being frayed by the other two he was real sure he'd be the one to do the spilling!

"There's a car." Chief heard the tires on the gravel drive before he ever saw the vehicle itself.

Goniff slapped Casino on the shoulder as they both headed for the windows. Finally! Maybe they could get a little rest now. And maybe, just maybe they could finally get to meet those girls. "It's them. See I told you it'd be alright."

"Yeah!" Casino called over his shoulder as he turned from the window and headed out the door. "If it's 'alright', how come there's only just Actor gettin' outta that car!?"

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"What happened?" The con artist looked like he hadn't slept for the whole forty-eight hours he'd been gone. Casino moved up and relieved him of the bag he had slung over his shoulder, closing the door behind him.

"Oh everything thing went smoothly." Actor followed the group as they made their way into the library. He'd just been through the debriefing with that idiot Wilhoitz and knew he was destined for another session before he would be allowed to sleep. "We found the man and got the communication lines set up again."

"Where's the Warden, then? Still getting the third degree over at headquarters?" Goniff had gone immediately to the locked cabinet, well it was supposed to be locked, but Casino had taken care of that as soon as the Warden was off the grounds, and brought out the brandy and glasses. Pouring a measure he downed it in one quick swallow and then refilled the glass, tipping a shot into a clean glass he walked over and held it out for Actor, leaving the bottle and two more glasses on the table. The other blokes could take care of themselves.

Sinking gratefully into the chair by the fire the aristocratic con artist leaned forward into the warmth and glow of the flames. He'd been cold since they'd transferred from the small fishing boat into the sub that brought them home across the channel. "They've taken him over to the hospital. He will be there at least overnight."

"How'd he get hurt?" Chief turned away from the cabinet and started back towards Actor.

The glass stopped halfway to Casino's lips, "How bad is it?"

"He's not injured…" Actor held his hand up for quiet and finally took a sip of the brandy.

Goniff tossed the contents of his glass down in a quick swallow and settled himself on the arm of the sofa facing the con man. "Then what n'Bloody Hell happened?"

"He's ill." As the others settled onto chairs and listened he told them about the mission and the trip back.

They'd gotten into the town with no trouble and with what they already knew and a little digging had discovered the whereabouts of the missing operative. Being concerned about the man possibly being watched, the Lieutenant used most of their time looking for any sign that he had been discovered by the Germans, or had any contact with them. The man had left his own area after a bombing forced him from the job he was using for a cover and had not been able to establish himself in a new position yet, as all of his papers had been destroyed in the fires that swept through the town. The young man was a single operative, using a hidden radio to transmit directly to England. The radio had been damaged and he did not have contact with any other groups in the area so he hadn't been able to let anyone know what had happened. When they'd finally decided that it was safe to make contact and Garrison had approached him with the proper code phrase Actor thought they were lucky he hadn't given them away by fainting dead away in the street, his relief was so great. They'd managed to put him in touch with an underground group and gotten him a new set of papers. The Warden offered to bring him out with them, but the man had elected to stay on so they had left him behind and headed back.

"He seemed to be fine through the mission, it was on the trip back he started to have chills and the fever came up." He sat back in the chair and remembered the trip back…

_Actor watched him. Garrison was leaning back against the bulkhead with his eyes closed, but he certainly wasn't resting. He was too still, his breathing too regular. The con man knew what his answer would be before he asked the question. "Warden? Are you all right?"_

_Garrison frowned slightly, opened his eyes and squinted as if even the subdued lighting hurt his eyes. "I'm fine, just tired. You should be too, Actor. Why don't you get some rest?" And with that he'd closed his eyes again, effectively ending their conversation. _

_Actor watched him a moment more before he decided to take his advice. They were headed back, and only a few hours out. There would be a doctor to greet them when they arrived, and for once he was glad of that extra step between getting back, and getting back to the estate. But when they landed it seemed the routine had changed. A Sergeant waited for them at the end of the ramp, gruffly presented the Colonels' compliments, ushered them to a waiting car and drove them back to the headquarters building. They'd gone straight into the debriefing with the new man._

"When we got in that fool Colonel Wilhoitz insisted on holding the debriefing anyway and we've been going over and over the same thing for the last several hours."

_As the discussion continued hour after hour the Warden became more short tempered. Actor had finally reached a hand out and laid it on his arm to caution him before he officially stepped across the lines of military courtesy. He'd finally called a halt to the process himself and probably hadn't earned a spot in the Colonels' affections. He looked at the officer sitting across the table from them and turned on his most charming and persuasive smile. "If I may, Colonel? Lieutenant Garrison is ill, and this was not a complex mission. Surely you have all the details you require for the moment?"_

_As always the con man's timing had been perfect. There was a clerk and another officer in the room at the time. The Warden was flushed and sweating and had just suffered an obvious chill. There was no way the man could reject the implied request. _

_The smile remained on his face, but as he shared a long staring match with the Colonel his eyes hardened in judgment. The man was a ass, Actor decided. And if he didn't care any more than that about the health and condition of the men under him he wouldn't last, none of them would._

Casino had been after Reynolds blood on that mission they'd been on together, but since then he'd developed a working respect for the commando officer. He was their usual contact, handing out the missions and doing the debriefing. Reynolds hadn't liked them at first either, and had been more than willing to sacrifice them to accomplish his objective, but at least he'd had the guts to admit it and the courage to follow their lead when Actor and the Warden came up with a scheme to get them all back home alive and get that damn General back to England. Since then he'd proved himself in the safecracker's eyes. He was fair and reasonable. When he felt they were out of line or hadn't done their best he'd let them have it, but if they'd pulled one off, against the odds, he let them know that too. And even though it was rare, if they'd done their best and failed, he'd stand up for them against the brass that still didn't believe a group like theirs belonged over here "We're not stuck with this jerk are we? Reynolds didn't get himself transferred or somethin' did he?"

"I don't know. His aide was still there, I suppose I can try and find out tomorrow." Actor rolled his eyes and sighed, downing the last of the brandy. "I have to go back in the morning so we can go over all of it again. If the Lieutenant is improved he will be there as well, if not Colonel Wilhoitz is determined to continue the discussion at the hospital"

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A car had come for Actor in the morning and taken him back to face Wilhoitz again. The others had tried to con their way into going along but had been firmly rejected by Sergeant Major Rawlins. There weren't any orders directing them to be anywhere other than right there on the estate, and that's where they'd stay, until he heard different. The only thing he'd agreed to was trying to find out if the Warden was alright. They'd waited through the whole morning and he still hadn't been able to come up with an answer. The men had just decided to make a break over the wall and go find out for themselves when a staff car pulled through the gate. When it stopped at the front of the building both of their missing men climbed out and headed for the entrance.

"So how are you Warden? How'r you feelin' mate?"

"Not too bad Goniff. I'll be fine."

Goniff couldn't figure it, maybe it was the Warden's voice, kinda breathless and whispery, but he looked sort of breakable. Made the skin prickle on the back of his neck. "What's wrong with you then?"

"Just tired out I guess. They said since we had Riley around I could come back here to rest up."

"If you give me a description a that Wilhoitz guy, I'll tell the guards down at the gate to keep him outta here. That oughta get you some rest." The safecracker hadn't met the guy, didn't want to, what he'd heard made him know he wouldn't get along with him.

Garrison laughed and struggled to control the cough that followed, "Well Casino he's about five inches shorter than you. He's got you by at least thirty pounds. Wears glasses that he shoves back on the top of his head and he squints all the time. And thanks, I think I've had about all of him I can take for a while."

"You find out what happened to Reynolds?" Chief asked Actor as he followed the group up the stairs towards the Lieutenant's quarters. But it was Garrison who responded, not Actor.

"Reynolds' father died, and they've sent him home on leave to be with his family."

"They do that? They'd send a bloke home for that?"

"They do if you're the last male member of the family. Reynolds' brother was a pilot, he was killed in North Africa back in August of forty-one, at Berbera."

"Are we gonna get him back?"

"I don't know. They'll leave that up to him." He'd never been so glad to reach the top of the stairs before. It seemed they'd gotten steeper while he and Actor had been across the channel. The bed looked awfully good too, he just hoped he had the energy to make it across the floor to it. "I guess I'll do like I'm told for a change and sack out for a little while." Unbuttoning his jacket and slipping it off he tossed it on the chair that sat next to the door and was surprised to see Actor reach out to hang the garment carefully across the back of the chair. "Casino, we won't be going anywhere for a while, I'll talk to you later about rescheduling that party, alright?"

"Sure, Warden, that'd be great." The others had already turned and left the room, Casino sat Garrison's bag down at the end of the bed and then stopped in the door way and looked back. "You just holler if you need anything." But he didn't get a response, the guy'd probably fallen asleep before he'd gotten stretched out flat. The safecracker shot a look down the hall to make sure it was empty before he stepped quietly back to the bed, pulling the extra blanket off the footboard he shook it out and draped over the sleeping man before he turn and left the room.


	2. Chapter 2

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The Warden was as good as his word. As soon as he was up on his feet the next day he'd put in the call and arranged the whole thing. They were all assembled on the front steps now, watching the car pull to a stop.

Casino took the steps two at a time and pulled the door of the vehicle open as soon as the car stopped moving. Reaching a hand into the back he helped an older woman up, gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek and stooped down, ducking inside the car. Hmm. A very proper English matron. A proper English chaperon? For a very proper English young lady!? How in the heck had their short tempered safecracker won one of those?

Casino gathered her into his arms and stood waiting as her friends stepped out of the vehicle and gathered around them on the drive. They were all there, just as promised. He said he'd told this girl all about them, and told them she'd found the perfect match for each one of them.

There was an open faced, wide eyed brunette for Goniff, a solemn raven haired beauty for Chief, and a graceful red headed debutante for Actor. There was even a tiny little blonde for the Warden. Casino stood grinning at them obviously convinced he held the crown jewel in his arms. "Fellas, this is Jeannette Marie Leclercq. Jeannie, honey, these are the guys."

The Lieutenant walked down the steps and presented himself very properly to the matron, just as he should. But it took the others a moment to get over their shock and start moving. Goniff was the first to break into a grin and start down the stairs, but Actor, with his long legs, was the first to arrive to be presented. Taking the delicate hand she offered he brushed the back of her knuckles with a kiss and smiled at her. "Mlle Jeannette, c'est un grand honneur pour vous rencontrer."

"Et vous, monsieur. Mais avec votre tolérance, I speak English."

"And beautifully too."

Casino rolled his eyes and whispered in her ear, "See! What'd I tell ya." As she giggled he turned so she could face the others. "This here's Goniff, and that guy back there's Chief. You probably won't get more'n two words outta him all day. And the one in the uniform's Lieutenant Garrison. He thinks he runs the place, so try and humor him."

The grumbling threat of thunder overhead got him moving. Casino spotted Rawlins standing open-mouthed at the top of the steps. "Hey! Sergeant Major, make yourself useful and help Mrs. Reid, here, up the stairs." Nodding to the driver he continued. "Just bring that stuff up into the house. The room we got all set up is around the stairs to the left, you can't miss it." And turning to face Jeannette again he apologized. "Sorry we couldn't get it all set up on the patio's and stuff, like we had before, honey, but the weather went lousy on us."

He stopped halfway up the steps and looked back. The only one showin' any sense was the Warden, he'd already started shepherding the group towards the house. "Well! Come on you guys. Jeeze! What's the hold up? Everybody grab a kid and get inside before it starts rainin' on us!"

And rain it did, all afternoon, but no one seemed to notice. The tables had been set in the library and they spent the day talking and laughing, eating and reading, or just lounging in front of the fire. Even Chief had loosened up and told some stories about how a coyote had helped spread the stars across the sky, and how two twin boys had killed a bunch of monsters and made it safe for people to live in his part of the world, mesmerizing Simone. Actor had been soundly beaten in chess by his 'date', Miriam, and Goniff had taught all of them three of his favorite jokes, well, the clean ones, with Caroline, the little brunette adding her own twist to one that sent him into a fit of laughter that erupted now, every time he caught her eye. Six-year-old Liesel spent the day following Garrison wherever he went, climbing confidently into his lap whenever he sat down. She was comfortably napping there now, much to the amusement of the Lieutenant's team of 'hardened criminals.'

"She's a sweet little doll that one. Looks like a little pixie! I can see why you took a shine to her." Goniff nodded towards where the older kids were playing on the rug in front of the fire.

"You wouldn't believe how much she looks like my little sister Mari." Casino shook his head, he couldn't believe it himself, and had stopped dead in his tracks when he first saw the little girl. He'd been drawn to her from that moment and had talked his way off the estate and into the confidence of Elizabeth Reid, the lady that took care of the kids, just to spend time with her. It was almost like being home again, almost like being the big brother he was again. It felt good... But he laughed, the kid was a natural con artist. He turned on the pick pocket. "Just wait 'til she knows you better. She's not so sweet. That one's got a mouth on her. She spouts off in French most a the time, but you can sure get her drift by the sound a her voice!" That reminded him of Mari too, she didn't take anything off a anybody!

"But how did you ever come to meet?" Actor still couldn't figure out how Casino had won his way into the confidence of Mrs. Reid, the woman who looked after the children.

"Well it was them kids a Sister Therese's. The ones we brought over from France." Casino shrugged and tried not to look like the soft touch he was. "I sorta wanted to know what happened to 'em."

"But how'd you track 'em down, man. How'd you know where to start lookin?"

"Aw, that was the Warden." Casino tipped his head in the direction of their leader and turned to shoot a look in his direction. Grinning at the others he lowered his voice before he continued,,, seemed Liesel wasn't the only one napping over on the sofa. "Soon as I started askin' about that batch a kids he started diggin' around to find out what happened to 'em. Didn't take long before he found Mrs. Reid here. She had 'em at her place over on the other side a town and he cut me the OK to go over for a visit."

"Why ain't them little tykes here then? What'd ya leave them home for?"

"Jeeze! They aren't still there. She found places for 'em all months ago!"

Mrs. Reid spoke up to explain. "I keep the children with me until I can find homes for them out in the community. It's better for the little ones to be with a family, to have people who will act as their parents, and to have brothers and sisters to play with, rather than stay in some large group home or orphanage. After they've been placed they come back for visits and parties. Your friend here has been very generous with his time and has become a great favorite of the children." Her eyes twinkled as she smiled over Casino's grumbling denial. "He has quite a repertoire of children's stories, and he makes a very convincing clown." The shouts of laughter that followed her revelation woke the Warden and nearly drown out the Sergeant Major.

"Lieutenant Garrison?" Rawlings' disembodied voice coming over the intercom on the wall near the door caused the kids to stop and search around them, looking for the person that went with the odd sounding voice.

Garrison carefully handed the sleeping Liesel over into Mrs. Reid's keeping and stepped to the unit on the wall. "Yes, Sergeant, what is it?"

"Colonel Wilhoitz on the phone for you, sir." The children were giggling over Goniff's impromptu impression of the very proper Sergeant Major Rawlins.

Garrison motioned for quiet. "Put the call on my desk, Sergeant," and excused himself, stepping across the hall into the room he used for his office.

As soon as he left the room Goniff turned his vocal talents back to mocking the British NCO and had been rewarded by delighted giggles from the children, and appreciative laughter from his team mates who had to put up with all the rules, and regulations, and training methods the by-the-book Sergeant could come up with. Their merriment carried easily across the hall and into the Lieutenant's office as he picked up the phone.

"Colonel Wilhoitz, sir. Lieutenant Garrison... No sir, we have some guests from the town visiting, sir. Some children, sir. One of the locals, a Mrs. Reid, takes in refugee children until she can find homes for them and… Yes, sir. I'll tell them that, sir…."

Garrison stopped outside the library door for a moment, collecting his thoughts and controlling his irritation. When he stepped through the door he had a smile of regret on his face, but the men who'd worked with him could see the heat of anger still in his eyes. "I'm sorry. The kids have to go back."

"We don't have another mission?!" Casino was completely caught up in Jeannette and the look on the Warden's face hadn't penetrated his contentment.

"No. We don't. But I've been ordered back for a meeting."

"He can't've done! The doctors said you was s'pose to be restin'." Playing and talking with the kids wasn't strictly resting, but it was a sight more relaxing than spending time meetin' with that Colonel Wilhoitz fella. Goniff thought it was doin' them all a world of good, especially the Warden.

Garrison tried to smile and make light of it, but he didn't quite manage to pull it off. "He just told me I got a full eight hours of sleep last night. I guess he figures that's enough rest for now." He couldn't bring himself to tell them what the Colonel had to say about visitors when he'd explained the noise the man could hear in the background, not in front of Mrs. Reid and the kids. They'd find out soon enough that 'civilians' were now banned from being on the grounds.

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"Who is this guy anyway, and why's he got it in for us?"

"He's a jerk, and it's 'cause we're cons, baby. I keep telling ya that. I don't know why you guys never believe me."

"But he ain't left us sit still longer than three or four days before he runs us right back over there. How's he figure we'll be able to pull all them jobs off if he don't leave us any chance to rest up?"

Garrison sat at the table with his head resting on his fist and let them rant. He'd just told them they'd been given another assignment. Another 'quick and simple' job that would turn out to be neither 'quick' nor 'simple.' He didn't have the energy to explain Wilhoitz to them, or to refute Casino's claim,,, Besides, he knew it was true.

Actor watched the Warden. Goniff was right, the team had been sent over many times now since he and Garrison had gone over on their own, but at least the men had been given those few days of respite between assignments. Garrison had been kept busy by their new CO. Debriefing was his sole responsibility now, as the good Colonel did not feel the need to waste his time listening to the technical 'experts' on the team. Wilhoitz kept him in the headquarters building going over the information they brought back, as well as interpreting and evaluating information being sent or brought back by other teams, and translating messages from the underground. He was interrogating people returning or being brought from the continent too, something the confidence man was certain Wilhoitz didn't have the skill or knowledge to do for himself. The con man doubted that was all the Lieutenant was doing when he was away from them for the several days between missions, and had his suspicions confirmed when the Warden arrived at the estate bruised and exhausted, sporting a bandage around his left arm, claiming a fall that had required a few stitches. He was going into Europe alone again, or with other teams, but he'd probably never admit it. Actor cleared his throat and after getting the other cons attention nodded in Garrison's direction. The man's eyes were closed, his head still rested on his fist and he was nearly asleep amid all the noise.

The abrupt silence brought the Warden's head up and he looked around at his men to see what had happened.

"You are in no shape to go back over there."

Garrison dropped his hand to the table and stretched back against the chair, "I'm fine."

"No. You'r not." Casino gave a derisive snort. "Believe me, I've seen 'fine' and you do _not_ look anything like it."

"Maybe you should turn yourself in to the doc, and get this mission scrapped." Chief advised as he studied their commander.

Garrison shook his head. "Findlay's already cleared me. Besides, they'd just send you over with someone else." Findlay'd cleared him alright,,, finally. He'd had quite a job convincing the doctor that he was fit and ready to go out on this assignment once he understood what Wilhoitz was planning. One failure to report, to be available for any future assignment, and he'd be replaced. The Colonel made it quite clear what the new men waiting to takeover the group had to say about working with 'criminals'. None of them wanted the men there, none of them understood the value of what they could do.

"He'd do that?!" Goniff's face registered amazement. "That Colonel'd really do that?

Shoving away from the table the Warden got to his feet with a sigh. "That's what he says." Obviously he'd tried to get them out of this latest job, and it hadn't worked. "Come on, let's go. I'd rather be over there anyway." He smiled back at their shocked expressions. "Wilhoitz doesn't do field work," he explained over his shoulder as he headed for the door.

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He'd just finished the debriefing on the latest mission. They'd gotten in and out the way they were supposed to. Well, no, not exactly the way they were supposed to. He'd scrapped the Colonels' plan the moment they'd hit the ground in Italy. If he'd followed the man's instructions they'd all be sitting in a German POW camp right now. No, he amended that thought too, they'd all be in an Italian cemetery right now after enjoying an intimate view of a German firing squad. He was just picking up the reports and sliding them back into his briefcase when the Colonel dropped his latest bomb.

"You will confine your men to the estate grounds from now on. There's no reason for them to be in the town. Everything they need is there on the base."

"But sir, that's unreasonable." Every group got a break after they came back. It was a way for them to relax, a pat on the back for a job well done. It was necessary to preserve morale and imperative in maintaining the overall health of the group.

"Lieutenant, the Army may have chosen to use these criminals, but there's no reason to subject the British civilians to them."

"Sir! They haven't done anything wrong..."

"That's not what these reports say, Garrison." Colonel Wilhoitz pulled a thin file across the desk so it sat right in front of him. It appeared to be well worn, the corners of some of the pages turned down. "Pub brawls, petty thievery. Gambling…"

Brawls that the locals had been involved in, pranks and dares that they'd set the guys and then bet on. Gambling?! Even the local police took their turn at the tables that could be found after hours in almost every pub in Britain. "No one has ever pressed charges."

"But it's still here in the reports." Wilhoitz leaned back in his chair and smiled up at him, the smile didn't reach his eyes. "You didn't think you could just cover that up by paying those people off, did you Lieutenant?"

"Sir, I didn't…."

"I want you and your books in here tomorrow morning at eleven-hundred, Lieutenant. We'll find out what you did or didn't do."

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"I think you need to go talk to him, man."

The young man found him in the library and waited until Goniff, who was using the desk in the room to practice one of his card tricks, had finally satisfied himself with his skill and the outcome and given in to his ever present hunger and wandered off to the kitchens, leaving them alone together in the room. "Why? What's happened?" Actor laid his pipe aside on the table and gave Chief his full attention.

"I went out on my run a couple a hours ago, and I found the Warden on his knees 'bout a half-mile out, when I was on the way back. He gave me some lame story about fallin' over a root... There wadn't any thing messin' up that path,,, we cut it ourselves and made sure it was clean." Actor waited for Chief to order his thoughts, to give him all the details of what he'd observed, and why he was concerned. "He was kinda pale, and breathin' funny. Holdin' his side like he does when he doesn't think any body's around. Didn't look like he'd gone all the way down... I don't think he passed out like he done before, but he sure was hurtin'." The young man raised troubled eyes and fixed them on their seconds face. He felt a little like he'd let the Warden down, tellin' secretes on him or somethin', but the look in Actor's eyes told him he'd done just the right thing.

"All right. I'll speak to him." He frowned down at the carpet between them and wondered how to approach the Warden. They'd had this come up before, over on the continent when they were working a job. Then it made some sense, in a stubborn sort of way. But here? When help was available and there was no threat? Or was there a threat? Actor considered it and as the answer fell into place in his mind the door swung open and he looked up to see the Warden standing there.

"I've got to go in for a little while. No one leaves the grounds." He looked them both in the eye, "I mean it. Find Goniff and Casino and tell them. Tell Casino he can use the phone in my office to call down to Mrs. Reid's, but _no one_ sets foot off the estate." Glancing at Chief as he turned to leave he advised. "You better stay off the trail. Wouldn't want to give anyone the wrong idea."

They exchanged stares as the door closed behind the Lieutenant, remembering the truck load of new guards that had been sent out to the estate yesterday. It had been a surprise, even the Warden hadn't known about it. It wasn't a surprise now. That's why he'd been out there. He wasn't just out running to try and stay in shape or get back in condition, he was running down that trail to be there if one of the new guards challenged Chief, tried to make out like he was escaping. The clock in the library was just striking the ten o'clock hour.

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Garrison hadn't gotten back to the estate until after midnight, but he found Actor waiting for him when he walked into his office. He didn't acknowledge the man as he walked past him, he didn't want to know what kind of problem had come up in his absence. The day he'd spent with Wilhoitz and his financial experts, going over and over the accounts while they searched for evidence that he had juggled the books to hide bribes, pay offs to cover the 'crimes' of his men, seemed to last forever and had stripped him of all of his patience and the little reserve of energy he had left. He couldn't face anything more, but, setting the ledgers back in place on the shelf he took a deep breath and turned to face his second in command. "What is it?" The question was blunt. "Why are you in here?"

"Chief told me about finding you on the path this morning. He's worried about you." Actor considered the man standing in front of him. He was thin, haggard, he hadn't been sleeping, and there was a fine sheen of sweat on his face, probably indicating another one of the fevers that he thought he kept from them. "We all are."

Garrison's voice was level, determined and his face set. "I'm fine."

The con man came to his feet, concern and irritation with his commander's attitude and condition boiling to the surface. "We've been through this before! You are _not_ fine and you know it. I don't understand why you are being so stubborn!"

"Actor, lay off!"

"No! It is obvious there is something wrong with you, and if you won't report it I will!" He could see it now, the way the man's eyes tightened, the shortening of his breath and, there it was,,, the way he held his arm down closer to his side as if he was protecting broken ribs.

They were squared off, standing like fighters waiting for the bell to ring, "And if you do they'll pull me out of here………. "

There, it was out.

"………….and you'll get someone who thinks just like Wilhoitz! You'll get Lieutenant Deavers, or Captain Moore, or one of the other men that he's gathered around him as his assistants and aids. How long do you think it would take for them to ship you guys back to the States?"

"But surely there's a way around him. What about Corporal Riley, or Dr. Phillips?" He couldn't think of the last time he'd seen the young medic, but there was no need for them to be in contact, not unless someone was ill or injured here in the mansion. Phillips would see that the Lieutenant was ill if they went to him. He'd find a way to keep him here, treat him right here on the estate if the Warden didn't trust them enough to stay in the hospital. Surely his concerns were misplaced, over blown.

"They reassigned Riley weeks ago. Said we were close enough to a medical unit that we didn't need our own corpsman." Garrison dropped into the chair behind his desk and turned it, turned his back on Actor and stared out the window. "Everything goes through the hospital now." He heaved a sigh and swung the chair back around so he was facing the man who was his second in command. "And they have a new head of service too,,, a man Wilhoitz recommended." For all the con man's subtlety he still didn't understand.

"General Fremont then?" Like Reynolds, Fremont had changed his view of the team over time and become one of their few supporters.

"Fremont isn't in direct control any more, he's moved up. Carlisle is our boss now,,,"

"And he thinks just like Wilhoitz." It wasn't a question, it didn't need to be. Actor could see the answer in the Warden's eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

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The mission was another last minute assignment. There had been no time for one of their usual briefing and planning sessions, and just barely enough time to gather their gear and get to the airstrip before the plane took off. The Lieutenant had them gathered around him, shouting so they could hear him over the roar of the engines.

"The contact will meet us about two miles from the drop zone." He didn't like this, didn't like going in with no time to prepare. He tried to tell Wilhoitz that over the phone when the call had come in at oh-two-hundred. The man didn't listen, cut him off and just ordered him to get his team in the air and do the job. Nothing like going out in the middle of the night with no sleep, no warning, no prep. And, probably no back up. "We'll have to move fast, they want that place knocked out by sunrise, before the bombers make their run."

"Does this guy think we're magicians or somethin'!" Casino looked at him with astonishment, and there was a hint in his voice that tipped Garrison off to the fact that the east coast thief was beginning to believe he was lining up against them by taking on all of the jobs Wilhoitz handed them.

Garrison knew what the Colonel thought they were,,, criminals, cons, 'no good low lifes' who could be sent out on every hopeless, poorly planned mission that came across his desk with little concern and no guilt on his part for what it would cost them. "I don't care what he thinks." He'd said that to them once before, when Reynolds had been willing to let them be sacrificed over in Italy. They'd gotten through that mission and had managed to turn Reynolds into an ally, but he didn't have any hope that would happen with Wilhoitz. And he was lying, he did care what the Colonel thought. He had to care about it, to find a way to counter it, but they didn't need to know, at least not right now. "That only leaves us ninety minutes to get in there, lay the charges and get out of the way. The contact will be providing the explosives."

"God damn it!" Casino had every right to be furious and he was going to make the best use of that right and tell the Lieutenant just what he could do with this damn mission. "If they've got the fucking explosive why can't _**they**_ use 'em to blow up that damn radar?!" The rest of the guys were thinking the same thing, he could tell by the looks he was getting, they were just too tired to ask the question.

"They don't have an explosives expert." There was a warning sound to the Warden's voice. "We do."

"Yeah! Well I just quit!"

"Scheiße! Genug!" The Warden glared at him. "Then you just stay back out of the way and I'll handle the charges!" Garrison turned away from the fuming east coast thief, shouldering him out of the circle as he continued to try and plan this job with the others. "Chief, Goniff. I want you two to get around the base and come in from the north. The radio transmission tower is there and we'll need to take those antennae out too. Actor, you're on me. We'll take out the radar tower. There'll be a truck parked in an abandoned barn two miles further in. They won't expect us to go that direction. We'll use that to get out to this airstrip," He tapped the paper to indicate its location. "They're going to arrange a touch and go landing. We'll have to be ready to jump on board when they get there."

Garrison studied the men gathered around him. They were beat.., too tired, he didn't know if they'd even heard what he'd just told them. "The confusion caused by the explosions and the bombing should cover our escape." He hoped he had more confidence looking back at them, than they had when they glanced up at that pipe-dream.

He'd been sketching out the layout of the installation on the back of the map, using X's and squares and circles to represent the targets, adding physical features like the low hills that lay to the north, and the small stream that ran in a gully along the western edge with waving and jagged lines. Sweeping arrows showed their movements through the grounds…Casino was craning his neck to see over the Warden's shoulder. It looked like some damn fool football play drawn out during a huddle.

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When they'd rolled out of the plane the winds scattered them all over the sky. They lost valuable time hooking up on the ground and had to double time it to get to the rendezvous with the contact on time. The effort was telling on all of them, but most evident in the Warden. His face was nearly bloodless as he tried to control his breathing and the pain that stabbed through his chest under his arm. The contact was trying to show him the supplies, explain about the explosives when Casino stepped up and took over. Actor translated for him and after a few terse questions he set to work dividing the explosives and making up the charges. Garrison sat back against a tree and watched.

Everything was ready to go. The charges had been packed down in field packs that they'd use to haul them into the site, leaving the men's hands free to protect themselves if they were spotted. Casino divided the stuff up into three batches. Those radio antennae wouldn't take much to bring down. One pack would go with Chief and Goniff. The radar tower, that was another story. They'd've put that together outta concrete. Two packs would go there, big ones. Even that might not bring the thing down, not if they had a decent engineer build the damn tower. Casino walked over to give the Warden the low down. He frowned as he walked up on him. The guy was sitting stock still, just staring up at him. "You OK?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Casino gave a snort. There was that word again. Who'd the Warden think he was kiddin' anyway. "Right."

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me! We'll probably get ourselves blown apart." He dropped down next to Garrison and stared off into the trees. "I don't like this stuff. It's not stable. I tried to pack it down solid, that ought a help. But we're not gonna know how good a job I did until it goes off." Turning to look at his commander he finished. "And I don't suggest bein' very close to the stuff when that happens."

The Lieutenant nodded his acceptance of the risk. "You have a suggestion for a safe distance?" he asked quietly

"Sure." Casino looked back at him, cracked a fatalistic grin and pushed himself up onto his feet reaching a hand back to the Warden. "How 'bout London?"

"I don't know." Garrison shook his head as he held out his hand and accepted the help offered. "We'd have to run pretty damn fast, and I just don't think I'm up to it right now."

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The radio tower went down first. The explosion caused them to turn and look when they should've been running. Every second counted and they were seconds too close and were blown off their feet when their first charge went up. They were out in the open as bits and pieces of the block tower started raining down around them, and then the second charge blew. They lost three of the underground group that helped them get into the site, killing the German guards for them so they could get in close, and then covering their backs while they set the explosives. When the echoes faded and it was safe to raise their heads and look around them they were all bruised and bleeding from being pelted with falling debris.

Garrison was the first to struggle to his feet. He moved to the closest man, pulling him up and then headed for Actor. There was a gash on the back of the con man's head and he was stunned. "Come on! Can you get up?" Pulling him over on to his back he waited for him to focus his eyes and look around him. He tore open the first aid pack the con artist always carried and pulled out a hand full of gauze, pressing it against the wound as he helped the man sit up. "Are you all right? Can you go?" At the older man's nod the Warden tied the gauze in place and hauled him to his feet. When he was sure he'd be able to stay upright on his own he moved away from him, searching the field for Casino. Panic had just started to edge its way into his head when he heard a familiar voice call out.

"Jeeze! Would somebody get me the hell outta here?!"

Turning and following the muffled sound of grousing that usually irritated the devil out of him, Garrison tracked it to the side of the field, and a gully that had been used to bring water here when the crop had been wheat, not radar towers. Peering over the edge he saw his explosives expert pinned in the mud by a door that had been blown off the building, frame and all, or rather half the frame. The side that held the latch hadn't made it, leaving the top of the thing free to bury itself deep in the dirt and pin his man down, pressing him into the mud. Garrison's heart rose into his mouth. That thing could have just as easily buried itself in the safecracker's chest, or driven through his skull. He moved up a few steps and jumped down into the ditch, sinking into the soft ground. Bending down he 'opened' the door and looked down at the mud stained face. His mouth quirked up in a smile of relief. The cursing and complaining reported on his man's condition, and a quick survey confirmed it. Before he could stop himself he'd said it. "Knock, knock?"

Casino narrowed his eyes and growled. "Will you shut up!" Reaching his free hand up he started to wriggle out from under the frame that still rested over his left arm. "Get me up outta this muck, damn it!"

By the time he'd helped Casino up out of the ditch the rest of them, the ones who'd made it, had assembled around them. They were a sight. Bruised, broken, mud stained and bleeding. They didn't have time to do anything about that, they still had people on the other side of the installation to check for, and they'd probably have to fight their way over there… Garrison made a quick assessment of their injuries and sent the worst of the lot off toward the barn with two of the underground men. Actor was in that group, protesting, loudly, all the way off into the trees.

The rest of them, wiping the mud and dirt from their eyes, shouldered the rifles they'd brought with them, and the ones they'd taken from the guards. Pocketing the grenades the dead men had on them they moved out, skirting the field, working their way around to the north, to what was left of the radio tower. They'd scout the area, make sure Chief, Goniff and the others had gotten away, and then head for the barn and the truck.

There was a brief, unexpected, firefight at the shattered building. A knot of German guards and technicians had made it through the blast somehow. It hadn't lasted long, the members of the underground group that had the transmitter as their objective helped catch the survivors in a deadly cross fire. They hadn't remained survivors for long. Pierre Clermont the leader of the group, and the man that headed the attack on the transmitters came to them when the fight was over. Speaking urgently to Garrison he pulled him away towards the north, towards the barn. Looking back over his shoulder the Warden shouted to Casino. "Both of them are hurt! Clermont's already sent them ahead with some of his people," and he started off after the Frenchman at a run.

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It was quiet in the barn, except for the groans of the wounded. The rest were grimly going about the business of helping their injured comrades. Splinting broken bones, scrubbing the dirt out of wounds. Garrison had just twisted Chief's left shoulder back into place, the young man still leaned against him, sweating, breathing hard and swearing under his breath. After letting him rest against his shoulder a few moments he propped him back against the side of the truck and started securing his arm to his side with a coil of cord one of the men had unearthed in the corner. Actor's wits had settled and he and Casino were looking to Goniff.

"That's the second time you've dislocated that arm." Garrison said as he finished binding the young man's arm in place. "You'll need to keep it still."

Chief used the sleeve of his jacket to wipe the sweat from his face and looked up at his commander. "S'OK. You better get over there." Nodding towards the other three. "I think he might be hurt pretty bad. I found him half buried under debris and had to shove a chunk of cement off his middle with my legs. He wadn't bleedin' anywhere, not where I could see it, but he kinda curled in on himself as soon as I got that weight off him. If those two guys from the underground hadn't run up on us and hauled us off into the trees we'd a been taken out by the guards that started shootin' from what was left of the building we blew up." Since they'd reached the safety of the barn all the poor little guy'd been able to do was wretch.

Garrison squatted down next to Actor. They'd cleaned Goniff up, washed the dirt and muck off his face and turned him onto his side to try and make him more comfortable. He was worn almost into a faint but still grimaced and moaned in pain. "How's he doing?"

Actor shot a look along his shoulder. "He's fine, can't you tell?" At the Warden's stricken look he relented, pressed a hand over the bloody bandage on the back of his head and rocked back on his heels. The wound in his scalp throbbed and his ears were still ringing, he was dizzy if he moved too fast. "I don't know. He hasn't been throwing up blood, that may mean that there's no serious internal damage." Carefully shrugging his shoulders instead of shaking his head he continued. "Or it could just mean that the damage doesn't include his stomach." Heaving a sigh he met Garrison's worried stare. "He won't be running to catch any plane." Casting an analytical eye around the group he added. "None of us will."

The Warden ran a hand through his hair and nodded before pushing up on his feet again. He went in search of Clermont. They'd need a radio to arrange another way out, and they'd need to find help, real medical help.

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The help they found was a local vet who worked with the underground. Since the war had started he'd expanded his practice to include human patients and had helped Clermont and his group several times in the past. The man came to them that night, bringing along the limited supplies he had, sorting carefully through his bag for the things that would not do them any harm. He was allowed to carry nothing for pain, no one considered 'dumb' animals needed any such comfort, and he couldn't help with that. He checked the fractures and sprains though, setting some of the more serious before rechecking the wounds and stitching some... Actor had come in for that attention and sat stoically through the procedure after complaining bitterly about having the hair on the back of head clipped. Chief's shoulder had been re-wrapped after a good dose of liniment had been worked in to ease it. Casino's deeply bruised arm received the same treatment, but by the safecracker's own hand after he'd accepted the jar of ointment and waved the man away to more serious injuries, like Goniff's.

"Lieutenant, I believe he has only been badly contused. Your own man's observations help me think this." Nodding towards Actor who sat with them he continued. "There has been no sign of blood in the vomit or urine, and his heart rate has not changed. But the solid organs in his abdomen may have been damaged. We can only let him rest, and keep watch over him." To Garrison's considering frown he added. "I would not suggest moving him for several days."

The group had left the barn as soon as they'd given initial care to their wounded and were secure in the hills now, in the caves that served as Clermont's base of operation. Garrison went in search of the man to make sure it would be safe for them to stay.

"Yes, of course, my friend! We have enough space and supplies for your small group to stay with us for as long as you like. We know these hills and caves very well. It will be quite safe for your injured men to be quiet here until they are strong enough to travel."

So they'd stayed. Four days of rest for Goniff, Chief and Actor. Garrison could judge their improvement by the complaints he got from them about being left behind while he and Casino went out with Clermont and helped the underground leader in his efforts to disrupt and destroy as much of the enemies plans and supplies as he could manage. Casino worked with the group, teaching them about explosives, how to create them from the supplies they could find, or use the stuff they could steal. Garrison helped extend the guerilla fighter's network of contacts by putting him in touch with others in the area that he had worked with in the past.

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The others had been taken back to the estate by truck, under guard, after they'd been checked out. There was no other way to describe how the new soldiers treated them, looked at them, when they'd climbed into the back. The only reason he'd let them go was Rawlins' presence in the cab of the truck. He'd managed to get a call out to him, and he'd come along to see them back, back to their prison on the grounds. Garrison stayed at the hospital with Chief and Goniff, ignoring the order to report for debriefing. He didn't trust anyone anymore, didn't trust them to take care of his men or get them back to the estate. Wilhoitz could wait, damn it!

It hadn't taken Findlay long to examine them, hardly long enough to step into the room and see who they were. The man was standing in front of him now, calmly turning them back over to him. "You can't release them!" Garrison stood staring at the medical officer.

"I have released them Lieutenant. That half-breed of yours sprained his shoulder. A handful of aspirin and an ice pack will take care of that just fine. You can keep wasting that horse liniment on him if you want to. As for the other one… If he'd stay off the booze he wouldn't have any pain in his gut. I see him in here again and I'll cut him loose for the lush he is. Is that what you want, Lieutenant? Because if it is, I'd be happy to arrange his ticket back to the States right now!"

"No, sir!" Garrison forced himself to calm down. "I'll take them back to the estate with me." He snapped off a salute and turned to go collect his men.

He'd have to find someone willing to risk a trip over the wall to get them the help they needed, but by God they'd get it! He knew the word was out in the town and surrounding area. The locals knew they'd be arrested for trespassing if they were found on the estate, but he hoped they'd made friends with one or two who would be willing to risk it. When he walked in he was relieved to see they'd at least provided Chief with a sling. The young man got to his feet when the door opened, knowing what the stiffness in Garrison's spine and the grim set of his jaw meant. "Come on. We're getting out of here."

Chief moved over to the table Goniff was stretched out on and waited for Garrison to step up alongside him. The little pick pocket had been sick again, throwin up. He was pale and sweaty and miserable, usin' his hands to press down against the ache in his belly that he got when he was on his feet too long. The Warden slid his hand under Goniff's neck and helped him sit up on the side of the table, then slipped under his arm and wrapped his hand around his waist as he stood. Chief steadied him from the other side with his good hand. They weren't even gonna waste a damn wheelchair on him. He gave the Warden a grim look. "We should a given ourselves up over there. We'd a got better treatment from the Krauts."

Garrison's head dropped and his eyes closed, he nodded before looking up and squaring his shoulders. He started Goniff easing toward the door, leaving Chief to open it for them. He was thinking the same thing. And, God help him, he'd considered it. If they'd been in uniform,,, he might have done it. When they'd made it outside he carefully helped Goniff into the back of the jeep he'd procured. He had a lot to think through and he used the slow careful ride back to the estate, and the quick violent drive back out to face Wilhoitz for the delayed debriefing to do it. Just before he'd left them in their quarters Garrison asked Chief for the name of the woman who'd taught him about the herbs that she used to come onto the grounds to collect, and where he might find her. He stopped on the way and talked to her. If she agreed, Casino would meet her out at the back of the property and get her inside. He couldn't believe they were having to run an operation on their own home ground.

g

When Wilhoitz finally let him go it was after four in the morning. She was still there when he opened the door to the large room the men shared. She'd brought a small case with her, filled with books and herbs and salves. While he'd been gone she'd seen to all the cuts and bruises, soothed away the aching joints and the sleeplessness, fought the headaches and nausea. She still sat at the table, sipping tea and keeping watch. When the door opened she looked up expectantly, smiled and beckoned him to join her. Settling silently in across from her he accepted the cup she slid into his hand and brought it up close where he could inhale the fragrance. It smelled like peppermint and summer grass. The large clock in the hall struck five as the door opened. Looking up from his mug Garrison watched Sergeant Major Rawlings glance around the room.

"Civilians aren't allowed on the grounds, sir. I'm sorry, regulations."

He looked down, studying the amber liquid in the cup a moment before before bring the cup to his lips and taking a long deep swallow. When he sat the mug back down on the table the Lieutenant looked up and said quietly. "I don't see any civilians here Sergeant. Do you?"

Rawlins cast another glance around the room. "No sir. My mistake, sir." he said quietly as he closed the door again and left the Lieutenant to his vigil.

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"You'll take your whole team as ordered Lieutenant."

"No, sir. You may assign the missions to whichever unit you choose, but the team leaders determine which of their men are required, and Chief and Goniff aren't fit to go back over there. None of them are." It had only been a week! They were barely on their feet.

"Damn it Garrison, you are right on the edge. You'll follow my orders or I'll have you reassigned!"

"Go ahead, sir! I'll be glad to finally have a superior who'll listen to me when I report on the condition of my men." He'd kept his voice reasonable, but just barely.

"Your men won't be going with you Lieutenant, they'll be going straight back to prison where they belong!" Wilhoitz had gone red with fury and sweat beaded across his forehead, running down the sides of his face.

"Fine! We'll all go! Sir!" You bastard, he thought. I'll take all of them over there but I don't have to take them on this wild goose chase. They can sit it out with our contact in France... He'd figure out a way to leave them all over there too, until he found a way around this man. "Colonel Wilhoitz." Garrison came to attention and stared straight ahead as he waited for the Colonel to return his salute. He didn't care if it ended in a court marshal, he'd find some way to protect his men from this idiot.

When he left Wilhoitz he'd headed directly to the medical unit and put in a request to see Doctor Phillips. They'd dealt with him before and he hoped he could explain about the men and get him to certify them as unfit, keep them here under his care and protection until the assignment was over and he could get back to watch out for them himself. When the door to the consultation room opened all hope of that vanished. Findlay again. He might as well be dealing with Wilhoitz himself, the doctor held the same opinions about the team and seemed willing to do anything he could to get them discredited and sent home. "Sir. I thought I was seeing Doctor Phillips."

"Forget it Lieutenant. I've left a standing order that I'm to be called any time you or one of your men need something." The doctor faced him with a sneer. "What is it this time? Your pickpocket have a hang nail? Somebody have a belly ache? Or maybe that con artist of your has a little laryngitis?"

So that's how they were doing it. "No sir. Nothing. Nothing that you'll listen to."

"Good. I'm glad to hear you're all doing so well." The man moved to the door of the exam room. "I'll just see you off then, shall I?"

Garrison didn't move. He sat staring at the man's back and asked quietly, almost to himself, "Why?"

Findlay turned to face him, leaning his back against the door. "Why, what Lieutenant?"

"Well, you're a doctor. You took an oath to take care of people." He looked at the man standing in front of him, at that moment he didn't even have the energy to be angry with him, he just didn't understand. "Why are you insisting on sending them out when they're in no shape to go? When they'll stand a good chance of getting killed because they aren't fit to go. Why?"

The Major leveled a stony glare at Garrison as he answered. "A bunch of goons just like yours got into my home before I came over here, Lieutenant. I had a wife… I have a wife… but when they were done with her… She doesn't recognize me anymore. She doesn't even know her own name. I'm not even sure she knows she's still alive. They never caught any of them. They're still out there somewhere." He turned and put his hand on the door knob but looked back along his shoulder. "As far as I'm concerned Garrison the Germans can kill every one of your men, and welcome. They'll just be doing us a service." He opened the door and waited. "I'll escort you to your car, _now_ Lieutenant." And a moment later added, "That's an order, not an offer."

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"So that's it?!" Casino's voice was raised in anger. He couldn't believe they were gonna be forced over there again.

"I can't get around either one of them." Garrison admitted, disgust with himself evident in his voice. "Wilhoitz has got something to prove, Findlay's carrying one hell of a grudge, and they're the two I have to deal with. When I can get passed them, I run right into Carlisle." He'd tried that, called through to the general's office and as soon as he'd admitted he did not have Wilhoitz' permission to make the call he'd been advised to take the issue up with his immediate superior. The general did not 'condone stepping outside the bounds of military protocol.'

"What'r we gonna do?" They were gathered around the table, the bottle and glasses sitting, ignored in front of them.

"We'll go over and do our job like we always do"

With a fatalism that was new to him Goniff studied the man that sat across from him. "But that ain't gonna be enough for them, is it Warden? They're not gonna be satisfied until we quit."

"Or one a us doesn't come back." Reaching out and finally picking up the drink that sat in front of him Casino knocked it back in one burning swallow.

Garrison kept his eyes locked on the glass in front of him. "None of you are coming back." he said quietly

"What!?"

"You're staying over there until I can get this sorted out." He was staring down into his drink, talking to it, rather than them. He might be able to convince Wilhoitz the team got separated, that he'd searched for them but had to return on his own….

"Jump ship?" Casino sat forward, reached out and picked up the bottle, slopping another measure into his glass. He wasn't sure what he was hearing, didn't know if he wanted to hear it, more was riding on his deal with the Army now than just his promised pardon... "You mean go AWOL?"

There was an edge of anger creeping into the Warden's voice. "I 'mean' stay alive!"

"But what about you? What if you…"

"Get court marshaled!? At least we'll all be out of it." He looked away "You can work with the underground or,,, or make your way back to the States. They'd probably break me and send me back to North Africa or over to Italy."

"Or Leavenworth!"

"So I'll break rocks for the rest of the war!" The men watched him, what he was suggesting could get him a front row seat with a firing squad and they all knew it.

"Is that really what you want us to do?" Actor asked quietly, waiting for his reply, judging what it would be from the look on his face as the Warden thought about it.

"No." He didn't want them scattered to the winds over in Europe, didn't want them to go back on the streets in the States. But he was too tired, he didn't see any other way. Garrison was sure if Wilhoitz managed to send them back they wouldn't just go back to the prisons he'd taken them out of. They wouldn't just pick up their sentences where they'd left off. Wilhoitz would see to it that every infraction he'd dredged up and written in his damn ledger would be held against them, stacked against them. And he wouldn't put it out of the man's scope to use some of the things they'd had to do to get their assignments done over on the continent against them. They sure as Hell wouldn't be getting their pardons at the end of the war for 'services rendered'. The Colonel'd do his best to get them longer sentences than they'd started with. Death sentences if he could managed it. "But the way things are we're too…"

"…Easy to blackmail? That's why you've been goin' over on your own ain't it? Because he's been threatenin' us?" Chief's voice held an edge of accusation.

The look on the Warden's face was the only answer they needed but he still tried to deny it. "There was no reason for any of you to go on most of those. Besides," and his mouth quirked up in a sarcastic smile, "I was trying to throw his damn statistics off."

"D'you mean that bastard's keepin' score!!?"

"Oh yeah!" Garrison snorted in disgust. "He's got a very elaborate point system all worked out. How many men. How many days. How much in supplies... He even rates how valuable the information coming back is. Same thing for anything we destroy over there. Calls it a 'strategic value factor.'"

Goniff shook his head, wishing he had the courage to try a drink. The lingering pain in his middle told him that wouldn't be the best idea, but the situation sure called for it. "That's crazy!"

"That's right." Garrison picked up the bottle and filled their glasses again. "And that's what we're dealing with."


	4. Chapter 4

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"When do we have to leave?" The bottle was half empty, they were still working on it.

"We fly out at eighteen hundred. Actor I want you to pack up anything you can think of that Chief and Goniff might need. Casino, two or three times the normal draw on rations. I'll do the same on the ammo, weapons and currency."

The confidence man's brows arched up in surprise and concern. "Won't the quartermaster question that?"

"The hell with his questions." The Warden's voice was bitter. It wasn't supposed to end like this, damn it! "I'm still signing off on the requisitions for this outfit!"

"So we're really moving out?"

Garrison took a long time to answer, and then he didn't meet their stares as they watched him. "Yeah."

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The supplies had been loaded and Goniff and Chief settled as comfortably as possible in the forward section of the plane, up near the pilot. Garrison had gone over the weather report, there was a large low level storm brewing, they'd probably be going pretty high to try and get over it. It would be warmer up near the pilot, and the ride would be smoother over the wing.

The Warden stepped forward to make sure Chief and Goniff were secure before they hit the edge of the storm. Goniff smiled up at him as he approached. "So what's our job, then?"

"Your job is to charm the underground into letting you stay." Garrison returned the man's smile, it was almost impossible not to. If anyone had a chance of earning acceptance it was the little cat burglar with his easy smile and eagerness to please. Too bad Wilhoitz seemed to be immune to him.

Chief wasn't so sure this was the right idea. He never wanted to be left behind by anybody, but especially this man. He'd make his way out of Europe if the Warden didn't get back over there to them, but he wouldn't be heading for the States he'd be tracking the Lieutenant down, where ever they sent him. "Think we're up to it?"

"Of course. You haven't let me down yet." And they hadn't, not really. But he felt he'd let them down... He'd let them down in a big way.

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The ride was getting rough as the pilot approached the storm. Actor got up as soon as Garrison got to his feet. "It's a good thing we will be landing on the ground over there this time. I don't think either one of them could handle a parachute jump, especially in this weather."

"We'll be climbing soon to get over it. It should smooth out higher up, but it's going to get pretty cold. We'd better breakout some extra blankets." Turning to the supplies stored along the fuselage over their heads he pulled down the wool blankets and handed them over to his second, watching as Actor made his way forward to give them to the men in front before he took two back into the tail where Casino had settled in. "Here. You're going to need this in a little bit." Handing the blanket down to the man huddled on the floor he dropped down beside him and draped his own around his shoulders.

The air was cold and thin. Casino was feeling it. It was making him a little light headed and dizzy. "Warden! You OK?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Casino watched has he tore at the buttons of the heavy jacket he was wearing and then jerked the collar of his shirt open. Seemed like he was trying too hard to pull in enough air. "Hey, babe, you don't look so good."

"It's just the altitude." But it was more than that. He shouldn't be up here, he couldn't breathe up here. But he couldn't risk getting the help he needed. The latest threat, the possibility of pulling him out of this group if he wasn't able to go out, and just sending them back to the States drove him now. He had to make it. They had to make it. "I'll be OK when we get over this storm."

But they were still climbing, the safe cracker could feel it, and only a few moments later he watched as Garrison slumped against his shoulder, unconscious. "Actor! Get back here!"

ggg

"What's wrong with him?" They'd pulled Garrison up where Goniff and Chief were, up where the ride was a bit smoother and it was a little warmer.

"It's the altitude. There's not enough oxygen for him up here."

"But he ain't never had trouble before."

"He hasn't been this sick before." Actor shook his head to the other man's questioning glance. "I don't know. Walking pneumonia probably."

"'Walkin' pneumonia'! What'n the hell's that?"

"That's when you got pneumonia but you'r too stupid, or stubborn to lay down and enjoy it! We can't pull this job off. Not just the two of us." Casino backed away and slid down against one of the supply packs to sit on the floor. "What'r we gonna do?"

Actor considered it. They were still hours from their landing site and he'd gone over the weather reports with Garrison. The storm was a large one, covering thousands of square miles. They didn't carry enough fuel to go around it, or to drop down and fight their way through it. They hadn't reached the halfway point yet. "We have to turn back."

"Abort?"

"Yes." He looked at each man in turn. "You all know what that will probably mean?"

They were silent, and even over the storm and the roar of the engines they could hear the Warden's labored breathing. Chief was the first to speak, and he said what the others were thinking. "Do it."

"Casino, get the co-pilot back here."

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Garrison came to as the plane leveled out. His head felt as if he needed to wrap his arms over it to keep it from exploding, his chest burned and the knife-like pain was back between his ribs when he took a deep breath. When he found it, his voice was rough, his throat raw. "Where are we?" he asked the figure that swam into his vision and resolved itself into Actor.

"It's all right. We've just passed over the coast of England. We'll be landing soon."

"NO! We can't! You don't understand." He struggled to get up, to face them and make them see they had to get away, get over into Europe where they'd at least have a chance, even with the fighting. "He's pushing for the group to be disbanded, sent home"

"You mean sent back." Actor took him by the shoulder, "That's why you've been driving yourself so hard, isn't it? You've been trying to give him what he wants so that he'll leave us alone."

Chief stared at the Warden and shook his head. "S'not worth it, man. It's not worth killin' yourself over."

Garrison slumped back against the floor. They shouldn't have done it, he thought miserably. They shouldn't have given up their chance. It was only the altitude, he would've made it. "Yes it is." He closed his eyes as they watched him. "I've known that for a long time now." But it was too late, he could feel the planes change in attitude, feel his breathing ease as they came down into denser air. They were already headed in for a landing.

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The truck that met them at the air field took them in to the base hospital. As they feared it was Findlay who was there to greet them. After a cursory exam the men had been released to return to the mansion. Four hours later Rawlins pulled a jeep up to the steps that led to the entrance and the Warden climbed out and made his way inside.

"Well? What happened?" He'd joined them in their quarters after making the long slow climb to the top.

Garrison stood just inside the door. "You're all confined to the mansion pending an investigation."

"For turnin' around when there was no hope a pullin' that job off?" Casino rolled up off his cot and swung his feet over the side to sit staring at the Warden.

The Lieutenant shook his head. "For going against orders and aborting without permission."

"Permission?! How n'the Bloody Hell did they expect us to get '_permission_' from anybody?"

"What about you?" Actor studied the Warden as he walked towards the fireplace, he didn't like the grim set of the man's jaw.

"I've got another mission."

Their shock was complete and they stared at him for several moments until Actor broke the silence. "You can't be serious."

"I refused."

"Good on you, mate!"

Garrison shook his head as he sank into a chair, dropping his jacket on the floor next to him. "No. He's bringing formal charges against me. As soon as they're filed they'll be out here to pick me up."

"Then it's all over." Casino stared around at the others. "We're done for."

"At least we'll finally get a chance to tell our side a things." Chief didn't have any faith in the system of rules and laws, but he did have faith in this man who applied them fairly and believed in them himself. But that faith was shaken by the look on the Warden's face.

Garrison sat frowning, staring through the window, not seeing the trees and lawns that lay on the other side of the glass. He'd been checked out by the doctor too and had a chance to get a look at his file when Findlay had been called out of the room. None of his recent complaints had been in there. Aside from being seen for a 'mild upper respiratory disorder' any one looking through the file would think he was in perfect shape. He didn't have to see the folders on the others to know they looked just the same. If,,, he corrected himself, when, this went to formal hearing they wouldn't have any records to back them up. He didn't believe the word of four cons would be taken seriously, not any more. And he didn't believe he'd be able to pull it off on just his testimony alone. He'd _**be **_alone too, Wilhoitz would see to that. Garrison knew he'd be sent a panel of three defenders to choose from who thought just like the Colonel. One summary challenge to remove one judge wouldn't tip the scales in their favor, there were still too many high ranking officers who still didn't understand the value of this group. This was a mess, and he was too tired to think of a way out of it.

ggg

They'd waited. All that day and into the next, they'd waited for the MP's to show up, but no one came. The men slept late and relaxed under the guarantee of 'no pending mission', but Garrison paced the floor and worked on his ever present pile of reports. He was closeted in his office now, working through another stack the Sergeant had given him when he'd come downstairs.

Chief was in the library when he heard it, his head jerked up at the sound. Something got knocked over in the Lieutenant's office, something heavy. Within seconds he was at the door, he waited listening. Nothin'. Turning the knob he shoved the door open and glanced into the office. Leaning back he sent a piercing whistle down the hall and followed it with a shout. "Actor! Warden's down!" then moved across the room to drop down next to the man on the floor and took him by the shoulder. "You OK Warden?" He could feel the heat burning through the guys' uniform. Chief heard steps in the hallway and looked up as Actor moved through the door.

"What happened?"

"It's alright. I think I just got up too fast." Garrison's knees had buckled on him and he'd found himself on the floor leaning back against the side of his desk.

"I heard somethin' hit the floor and came in and found him." Chief followed the con man with a worried stare as he knelt on the carpet next to the Warden. "That fever's back again."

Actor reached out, brushed a hand across the Lieutenant's forehead, shook his head and said, "Come on. Let's get him up on the sofa." He helped Chief shift Garrison off the floor. The man was easier to move, the fevers had burned at least twenty pounds off him over the last few weeks. Turning back to the desk he pressed the button on the intercom unit that would ring down in the Sergeant Majors office. "Sergeant Major would you get a medic to the Lieutenant's office please."

"Who is this? Actor?! You get off this intercom! "'Ow many times do I 'ave to tell you this isn't a toy!" The NCOs voice sputtered tinnily through the speaker. Why'd they keep at it? Didn't they know how much trouble they were in?

Why could the man never do as he was asked? There was an acerbic edge to his voice when he spoke into the unit again. "The Lieutenant has just collapsed in his office, so unless you think we should just leave him for the cleaning people to find, I believe we should have some medical assistance,,, if you wouldn't mind!" Actor flipped the switch on the box before there was a response, forcing the Sergeant Major to come to them if he wanted to continue his tirade. It wasn't long before they heard the sound of the man marching up the hall and the door knocked back against the wall as the Brit moved through it.

"Now you listen 'ere…" He stopped talking and his jaws snapped shut. Some of the men on the detail, the regular ones who rotated around the grounds, but weren't part of the daily working of the unit housed here in the mansion, had been pestering him with questions about the fitness of the Lieutenant. He'd brushed them off, he worked with the man everyday and the Army officer was tired, he'd told him that himself, but they all were, and he'd been sick, but there wasn't anything seriously wrong with him. Garrison had assured him that he was fine and he'd allowed himself to be convinced but Rawlins took a good look now and was shocked. There was the flush of fever on his otherwise pale features and the shirt he wore gaped at the neck as if it was too large. The skin seemed to stretch too tightly across the bones of his face. He'd cinched his belt up too, Rawlins could see the worn area where it had hooked up, only a few weeks ago. The Sergeant Major strode across to the desk and picked up the phone. "We'll need the staff car Jenkins."

Rawlins didn't call for an ambulance or corpsman as Actor expected but arranged for the staff car to be brought around from the garage. He also asked the company clerk to present himself, and when the young man arrived brought everyone up short with his question. "You ever been in any trouble Jenkins?"

The young man stared back at the seasoned NCO for a moment before answering. "No, sir! Never!"

"Good man!" Rawlins beamed at the innocent who stood before him, "You're about to go AWOL."

Jenkins looked from his Sergeant, to his Lieutenant, nearly unconscious on the large sofa, to the men surrounding him, and back to his Sergeant. "Yes, sir!" His eager collaboration was followed by a whisper of doubt. "Why, sir?"

"Never mind that!" Rawlins barked as he tore a sheet of paper from the notebook on the Lieutenant's desk and scrawled an address across it. "You take this up to Bertie Simpel, at this address. You tell 'im I said you was drunk and busted up 'is place, and it all 'appened two hours ago." He reached up and turned the young man towards the door. "Steal one of the jeeps." He patted the boy on the shoulder absently, setting him off with a shove. "There's a good lad."

"Sergeant Major Rawlins, what are you up to?" Actor smelled a con coming but never expected the straight-laced, by-the-book British NCO would be the author.

"We're taking a little field trip up to London to recover an errant member of the detail is all." He hadn't known he was 'up to' anything. But when he'd gotten a good look at Lieutenant Garrison the plan had just fallen together in his mind. Rawlins gave his head a quick shake. He was spending too much time around this lot.

"But we're confined to the mansion."

He hadn't been restricted to the base like the men. And he hadn't been run into the ground like their commander. He had his contacts with the other teams too, with the NCOs that looked after them, and they'd been talking…Rawlins tipped his head towards the Lieutenant. "But ee's not. And 'ee's the one's got to 'ave 'elp right now."

"We better get outta here. As soon as Wilhoitz finds out about this he'll make his move on us." Casino glanced around at the others. They all knew that was true but none of them wanted to run out on the Warden.

"Don't you do any such thing!" Those new guards weren't part of the regular detail, didn't even take orders from him or the Lieutenant, and Gil shuddered to think what their orders might be. The men couldn't leave the grounds on their own, they had to follow his plan, or he feared they stood a good chance of getting themselves shot. "I already got all this worked out. You lot just 'ave to follow orders for a change." He paused and looked around at the men staring back at him. They'd always been adversaries before, would they accept him as an ally now? "…and trust me…"

"What have you got in mind?"

Sergeant Major Gilbert Rawlins fixed them with a conspiratorial smile, rubbed his hands together and laid out his plan.

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Chief was staring down into the cup he held in his hands. "I dunno about this."

"You just take your medicine like a good little Indian." Casino told him, but Chief noticed he made no move to follow his own advice.

Goniff was staring off towards the cabinet that held the brandy, wondering if it would make a better mix, or chaser, then he shrugged and rolled his eyes. He didn't trust his belly with either option.

Actor finally raised his glass to them. "Come on. Tutti per una buona causa." he toasted and drained it in one swallow. The others followed his lead with considerably less gusto.

"Where to you think they are, then?"

Checking the watch on his wrist the con man looked back at their second story man and answered with a smile. "I should imagine they have just arrived." Then he frowned and rested a hand over his belly. "And I think we should make that call."

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When they arrived at the base hospital it was a mad house. Men lined the halls in various positions of misery. Some rolled on gurneys, others groaned from wheel chairs and seats along the corridor, while the rest stared glumly at the ground as they leaned against the walls. Actor smiled in spite of the cramps. Most of the estates guard detail was here, but there were well over a dozen he didn't recognize, members of some of the other teams he assumed. It seemed the Sergeant Major had created quite a respectable little epidemic.

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Rawlins used the phone on the desk in the hall outside the examination room. "I need to speak to Lieutenant Deavers or Captain Moore. This is Sergeant Major Rawlins." He drummed his fingers on the desk as he waited. "What's that? Well, then I suppose Colonel Wilhoitz will 'ave to do." It was another few moments of waiting. Rawlins hummed tunelessly, watching the activity in the hall.

"Colonel Wilhoitz, sir. Sergeant Major Rawlins, sir!" His voice carried the image of a salute as he rested comfortably against the counter. "I'm reporting in for Lieutenant Garrison, sir. No sir, 'ee can't get on the line 'imself, sir. That's what I've called to report. I've brought 'im to 'ospital, sir... No, sir. You see, sir, one of the men got into a bit of trouble up 'ere in London, sir, and… What's that, sir?.. No, sir." Rawlins said reassuringly. "To my knowledge they're all still there on the base, sir, just as you ordered, sir. But you see, sir, we 'ad to come up…. The company clerk sir, Jenkins. Well you see, sir, it seems 'ee got in 'is cups at a pub and broke the place up a bit, sir…. Yes, sir... NO, sir! The Lieutenant didn't get in the fight, sir. That was all over when we got up 'ere, sir. 'Ee's come over in a fever, sir….. No, sir. I don't think they'd allow that, sir. But we're already at the 'ospital, sir. The doctor's with 'im now, sir... Sir?... Colonel Wilhoitz, sir?" Sergeant Major Rawlins looked at the receiver he held in his hand for a moment before he placed it back on the phone with a grim smile. "Sod off,,,,, sir. You ruddy bugger."

Turning he walked back down to the exam room and stepped inside. Leaning against the door he watched the doctor examine and question his Lieutenant.

"How long have you been sick Lieutenant?" The man straightened by the bedside and looped his stethoscope back over his neck. He didn't like what he'd just heard, or the quiet, rasping voice of the soldier he had in front of him.

"I don't know sir. A few weeks I guess."

"Why didn't you report to your medical officer?"

"I did, sir. He never seemed to find too much wrong." Garrison closed his eyes for a moment and tried to remember exactly what he'd seen written in that medical file when he'd gotten a chance to look at it. 'Mild upper respiratory complaint.' That had been when they were trying to wear him down, keep him in the field until he couldn't continue to do his job. That was before he'd been told he'd be replaced if anything, even something minor happened and he couldn't go out, and he'd had to fight to stay on his feet, stay with his men. "He just said I had a cold and to take some aspirin and get a little rest is all."

The doctor's eyes went wide with amazement that anyone could miss on this kid. He was practically blue with his inability to process oxygen right now. "And what's this yahoo's name, Lieutenant?"

"Major James Findlay, sir." Garrison painted a puzzled frown on his face and threw a defensive note of support for 'his' doctor into his voice as he explained. "He takes care of all of us. He even left an order that if any of us ever needed anything he was to be called immediately. Didn't matter what time it was, or anything. Seems to be determined to see to us personally, sir"

"You sure he's a doctor?" This didn't just happen overnight! This guy had been sick a long time to get in this bad a shape. God help the other men this idiot had been responsible for, they'd all need to be checked over.

"That's what it says on his coat, sir."

Rawlins smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. He hadn't been sure the Lieutenant really understood what he was trying to get across to him in the car coming up. His fever was high and he was in pretty rough shape, but obviously the lad had gotten the message and was playing his part to perfection. Sick, amazed, innocently condemning the hack that had ignored his injuries and illness, and that of his men, with a voice that expressed misplaced confidence in him at the same time. Gil shook his head and felt a little glow of pride. No wonder this odd assortment of men could pull off all those nearly impossible assignments. He caught the Lieutenant's eye and smiled over the doctor's shoulder at him. In his opinion the Jerries didn't stand a chance,,, and neither did Colonel Wilhoitz.

* * *

End, part one.

Thanks for reading! Please review,,, and if you're too shy to do that ;-) at least let me know if you were familiar with this show before you got here, and how you found the story. dale


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